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ARVIAT
A generous gift from the land Down Under put a smile on a number of young faces in Arviat this past month.

Bob Carveth: Made a substantial donation to the Arviat Film Society this past month.

Known as Uncle Bob, Australia's Bob Carveth has been helping out numerous Kivalliq youth during the past year or so.

This past year he donated prizes to five Arviat students who took part in a trip to the tree line, as well as a laser disco light to the organizers of a popular dance in the community.

Carveth also donated two cameras as prizes for the annual Christmas party held by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in Ottawa, Ont., and has supplied numerous items to students at Victor Sammurtok School (VSS) in Chesterfield Inlet.

Each student at VSS received a flashlight and a set of rechargeable batteries, while the school was given six battery chargers.

Carveth, 72, also sent VSS 12 cameras, science prizes, educational toys, walkie-talkies and an extra Christmas gift to 14 students with single moms in the community.

This past month, Carveth sent a donation of video equipment to the Arviat Film Society (AFS).

The AFS received a shotgun microphone, shock mount and boom pole, light reflectors, tripod with dolly, fluid-head kit for a tripod, lapel mic with cable, two-way walkie talkies for set communication, and memory cards the group will use to ship a number of finished videos to their benefactor.

Carveth became aware of the AFS on the Internet, and a call to the hamlet office put him in contact with Eric Anoee Jr.

He said once the two connected, he offered the equipment and Anoee gratefully accepted.

"I started my film- making experience as an amateur with the Canberra movie makers many years ago, and I moved into the photographic and film industry for the rest of my working career," said Carveth.

"To see students at the same point I was so many years ago made me step up to the mark and be counted by donating some equipment.

"I'm well aware of the lack of spare-time pursuits for Inuit youth, so I've been contributing to many projects."

Carveth leads a relatively vicefree and conservative lifestyle, which allows him to still help others while being on pension.

He supplemented this year's donations by selling off a number of items from his personal collection.

Carveth's donations don't stem solely from his love of video and photography. He also has a keen interest in languages and cultures.

He was interested to learn Inuktitut had been at the tipping point, but there are now major efforts being made to preserve the language.

Carveth said promoting the retention of Inuktitut is an identity issue.

He said continuing to use Inuktitut affirms and strengthens the identity of youths as Inuit.

"I developed an interest in endangered languages from having an association with some people on Norfolk Island.

"Their unique language is fast disappearing and little effort is being made to preserve it.

"Speakers of traditional Norfolk number, perhaps, less than 100, and the majority of them are more than 60 years of age."

Anoee said the AFS was very pleased to receive the donation from Uncle Bob.

He said the extra equipment will really help the AFS as it attempts to expand its capabilities moving forward.

"These are items we really couldn't afford to own in the society," said Anoee.

"So we're really, really grateful to Bob for this generous donation.

"I picked them up as they started to arrive, but I never opened any of them.

"I waited until I could gather the young guys together and let them open the packages, and it was Christmas all over again watching them."

Anoee said AFS has about 10 youths who volunteer regularly with the program.

He said you can see a real spark of creativity in them when they tackle a project.

"These kids wouldn't really have a lot of other things to do if we didn't start this society.

"Video is a great medium to provide them with something constructive to do, and it also provides them with something to look forward to, and that's very important in our community.

"We give them little tasks and projects to do and they give it 100 per cent.

"They set goals for themselves when they're involved in these projects and that's also very good to see."

Anoee said AFS co-ordinators often have a tough time getting the youths to go home after a session.

He said they never seem to want to stop once they begin working on a project.

"Our youths are all in junior or senior high school.

"We're a non-profit society, and we take a lot of pride in the efforts the kids involved with the AFS constantly put forth."

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